Students, soldiers and companies were gathered this week in Nancy under the patronage of the cyberfense (Comcyber) Command for the largest university exercise in Cyberguerre “Cyber Humanum Is” with an immersive scenario with artificial intelligence.
At a time when artificial intelligence increases the art of war, Nancy has just welcomed the most ambitious university exercise in Cyberguerre that have ever been organized in France. For three intensive days from January 27th to 29th, “Cyber Humanum” is 200 participants in an unprecedented crisis scenario that includes the generative AI for the first time. An evolution that reflects the reality of a world in which the border between conventional war and information war fades more every day.
AI has become a weapon of choice in modern conflicts
On the campus of Lorraine, which was transformed into the operating theater, students, soldiers, soldiers and industrialists had to be exposed to hybrid attacks that mix Deepfkes, manipulation of critical infrastructure and psychological war. An explosive cocktail that is no longer from science fiction. AI has become a weapon of election in modern conflicts. From Ukraine to the Gaza, algorithms are already revolutionizing the identification of goals and information on the secret services. Tsahal in particular uses AI systems to cross real -time -satellite data, intercepted communication and social networks.
The Nancy exercise, which is under the Aegis of the Cyberdefense (Comcyber) committee, whose headquarters are in Toulouse, reflects this new strategic deal. In a fictional archipelago under the grip of the tensions, the participants had to manage a cascade of crises: paralyzed infrastructure, massive disinformation, worsened social tensions. The peculiarity of this 2025 edition is to have integrated the latest innovations in generative AI. The teams had to deal in particular with ultra-realistic Deeppakes with handling campaigns that were able to trigger panic movements or diplomatic incidents.
For Comcyber, the training has become an absolute priority. The exercise also mobilized a particularly diverse panel: 113 students at BAC + 3 to BAC + 6, from seven components of the University of Lorraine and Ensia, to which almost 90 experts from the expert ministry for armies and large industrial groups.
A continuous sequence of 36 hours simulates a large crisis
The scenario wanted to be particularly realistic, with a continuous sequence of 36 hours that simulate a larger crisis. The participants had to protect models from rail and port infrastructure while thwarting demanding cyber attacks. AI is a crucial defensive tool today. In particular, automated systems enable attacks at an impossible speed for human operators to be recognized and counteracted.
This total immersion shows the complexity of the challenges that modern states face. Between investments in critical infrastructure and capacity development between military reaction and social crisis management, strategic decisions are more sensitive than ever. The exercise has particularly emphasized the importance of the human factor: Assuming with increasingly autonomous AI systems, the final decision must remain in the hands of properly trained operators.
The presence of many partner companies (among other things) underlines the collaborative dimension of the modern cyberfense. “Cyber Humanum is” perfectly embodies the essential Army Triptych formation industry in the face of new threats. Because when AI increases strategic compensation balance sheets, the answer necessarily includes a global approach that connects public institutions and private actors.